Like Never Before
by sirrryesssirrr
Summary: Brittany and Santana at the prom. No spoilers, just day dreaming about them. Brittany/Santana. Femslash. Fluff.


Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>The music is blaring inside the gymnasium and it just proves to be too much for Santana. She can barely decipher between the hard bass that reverberates off the walls and the wild beating of her heart in her ribcage.<p>

She wants to do this. She wants to be able to prove to herself that she can still be a badass and get the girl. That been the plan all along, right?

She helplessly looks on from the outside of the double doors into the gym as Brittany dances around their friends, particularly that stupid boy in a wheelchair. She fiddles with her own hands, cradles them in each other, fighting the urge to simultaneously leave and run up to her.

When the song fades out, everyone slows their dancing and looks at one another with smiling faces and laughter in their eyes. Brittany high fives Mike, and she's sidling up beside Rachel when she notices Santana. They lock eyes and Santana offers a teary half-smile. She stands completely isolated by the doors and Brittany smiles back, waves.

Another upbeat song picks up and Santana watches how everyone around Brittany goes back to dancing: Quinn and Mercedes with the Macarena, Puck and Sam trying their hardest to do The Dougie. She wants to be there, she wants to be in the midst of it all, holding the girl she's loved for as long as she can remember to dance with her and give a giant middle finger to the school. But it's built up to this and the courage and confidence she thought she had all along has suddenly disappeared.

Brittany keeps her eyes on Santana and she feels so exposed that she has no choice but to walk away. Not like that's anything new.

Santana wipes the lone tear that escapes her eye and rushes to her locker. To regain her composure or to sulk in her cowardice, she doesn't know. She can hear light footsteps despite the loud thump of the bass, she knows exactly whose they are.

"It's our favorite Ke$ha song," she hears Brittany say behind her.

"I know. I just needed to freshen up," she says as she fiddles with the hem of the 'Lebanese' t-shirt she's kept in her locker. It's become like a security blanket to her in the last couple of weeks.

"The bathroom's the other way."

"I just forgot some stuff in my locker."

Santana shivers when Brittany walks up to her and softly places a hand on her bare arm.

"I ca-"

"No," Brittany interrupts her. "Stop saying that. I don't believe you when you say that."

"Brittany, look-"

"You think too much. It was never about Artie or me. It was always about you."

Santana closes her eyes and breathes in deeply, the scent of Brittany's perfume invading her senses. When she opens her eyes, Brittany smiles at her and offers her hand.

"I love you as much as you love me. It hasn't changed for as long as I've known you. I've gotten mad at you and you've done really stupid things, but I've always loved you."

"Britt-"

"You're braver than you think. I can't wait for you forever, but I'll wait for you today."

Santana moves her head into the touch of Brittany's hand, as she brushes her hair away from her eyes and behind her ear. Her grip on the t-shirt in her locker loosens and it takes all of her resolve not to just lunge forward into Brittany's arms.

"There goes our favorite Ke$ha song," Santana says, looking back in the direction of the gym. Brittany's hands are in front of her and she offers Santana a smile.

"That's okay. I know better songs," Brittany says. She urges for Santana to take them and she cautiously places her hands in Brittany's. Santana's taken by surprise when the other girl abruptly pulls her close, their faces inches away from one another.

"Dance with me, San?"

Bashful, Santana nods and lets Brittany pull her closer, a gentle hand in hers and another at the small of her back. She becomes acutely aware of their pressed bodies and rests her chin on Brittany's shoulder, faintly feeling the vibration of Brittany's humming.

As they sway in slow circles right in front of their lockers, Brittany starts to sing them a song. It's the melody that catches Santana off guard. The song so familiar that she lifts her head up from Brittany's shoulder and looks up at her.

"And the songbirds are singing like they know the score," Brittany half-whispers and half-sings to her. Santana's vision blurs a little as tears struggle to escape her eyes. Brittany lifts a hand up to brush the stray tears away, not once stopping their dancing.

"And I love you, I love you, _I love you like never before_," Santana sings, barely managing to get the words out, her voice a raspy whisper.

In the empty hallway, even with her eyes closed, Santana can feel the smile in Brittany's kiss.


End file.
